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(No Model.)

B. F. RICE.

TRAGE FASTENING.

No. 342,265. Patented May 18, 1886.

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n PETERS, Pluto-Lithographer. Washmmon, n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

R. FREDRICK RICE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES L. BEACH, OF SAME PLACE.

TRACE-FASTENING.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,265, dated May 18, 1886.

Application filed October 19, 1885. Serial No. 180,370. (No model.)

T all wh it ay GOT/1106?: In Fig. 4 I have shown the spring having, Beitknown that I, R. FREDRICK RICE, a citias I prefer to make it, another bend, 12,which zen of the United States, residing at Hartford, carries its upper end, 13, to the right, so as to in the county of Hartford,State of Connecticut, stand close to the trace when this is drawn 55 haveinvented certain new and useful Improveout against the hook, the object being to gain mentsin Trace-Fastenings, of which the followby this means additional security. ing is a specification. Myimproved fasteningis especially designed This invention relates to improvements in for use in connection with whiffletrees somedevices or fastenings for preventing the trace what old and worn, in which the holes 9 are 60 1o ortug-strap of a harness from accidentally slipout of shape, as shown, for instance, in Fig. ping off from the end of acarriage-whiffletree, 5 by contrast with line 14. This I find to be the object being to furnish such afastening havthe case with the larger proportion of those in ing the improved construction hereinafter deuse, and besides the corners are nearly always scribed and claimed. rounded off, either in making or by wear, so 65 I5 In the drawings accompanying and forming that they are unfit for holding the old forms a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan of springcatches which have been proposed View of a trace-fastening embodying my invenfor fastening traces. My fastening, however, tion. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, is applicable to all such whifilctrees by simply including a section of the trace. Fig. 3 is an setting screws4and 5 more orless up or down, 70 end View of the fastening drawn in projection so as to bring (stop N serving for the moment with Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. as a fulcrum) the inclined part 10 about cen- 2, showing an additional improvement. Fig. trally against the lower outer corner of open- 5 is an explanatory diagram. ing 9, as in Fig. 4. This mode of setting pro- Similar characters designate like parts in all duces a tension between the several parts 75 the figures. which makes the fastener anti-rattling, so that One end of an ordinary whiffletree is desiga Very fine adjustment of it on the whiffletree nated byA. This hasthe usual ferrule, B, and is unnecessary, and its proper application is perforated hook C, over which the slotted trace readily made by persons not skilled in me- D is p chanics; and since most of this class of fasten- 80 36) E designates a rigid lever, usually made of ings are in practice applied by farmers, hostcast metal, (iron) This part is bifurcated at lers, and others havinglittle acquaintance with its inner (right hand) end, and the two arms mechanical operations, that is an important 2 and 3 are pivoted to the side of the whiffieadvantage.

tree about in line with hook C by screws 4 and I have described above the spring as having 85 5., The lever hasin its middleastop, N, Figs. the two sides 6 and 7 connected by curve 8,

2 and 4, to limit its downward movement, and which forms the rounded entering-point. One

at its outer end a thumb-piece, T, whereby it object of this construction is to provide a is operated. Near the outer end and in the spring, which, though short, shall have suffiunder side thereof said lever has fixed therein cient elasticity for the purpose, and especially 0 r 40 the two ends of a loop-shaped wire detentwhich can be manufactured for a very small spring, comprising the two sides 6 and 7 and cost.

l the connecting curve 8. The sides and the Another important object is to furnish a curved point of the spring are'bent substanspring for the purpose which shall operate tially as in Figs. 2 and 4, to form the inclined properly in connection with the misshapen and 9 5 catch 10, which passes down through opening worn whiffletrees to which the fastenings are 9 in hook C and rests with its outwardly-in-' more generally applied. This object is fully clinedsurface on the under corner of said hook, accomplished by the specified construction. as shown best in Fig. 4. The point 8 being The two sides 6 and 7 of the spring, when enbent in, as shown, allows the spring to enter tering an opening which, as in Fig. 5, stands I00 properly,when,after the trace hasbeen hooked obliquely, act practically as two independent on, the lever is pushed down again into place. springs, each one bearing properly on its side of the opening. Of course the wire comprising the spring must in this case twist a little to permit that action of the spring. In practice the wire does twist very readily to a greater extent than required for the purpose. Tracefasteners (or the spring-catch above men tioned) comprising an arm or lever pivoted to the whifflctree, and provided with a hook or spring entering or engaging with hook C are, as I am aware, old and Well known, therefore I do not claim the same, broadly, but limit myself to the improvements herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. As an article of manufacture, the improved trace-fastening herein described, it comprising the rigid lever E, formed at one Mazes end, substantially as deseribed,for attachment to a whiffletree,and having at the other end a two-sided wire detent-spring depending therefrom, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in a trace-fastening and with the whiflletree A, having hook O, of le ver E, pivoted to said whil'fletree and having stop N,and the loop-shaped wire spring comprising sides 6 and 7 and point 8, and having the inclined hook 10, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

R. FREDRIOK RICE.

Yitnesses:

F. H. RICHARDS, FRANK H. PIERPONT. 

